4 WAYS TO FIGURE OUT IF MOLD IS MAKING YOU SICK
You may have already checked out Symptoms Mold Can Cause, which shows an extensive list of health complications mold can cause. If you read the entire page, you’ll also know that it can be very complicated diagnosing mold illness simply based on symptoms because there is such a broad range of health problems that mold can ignite. And to make things even more confusing, symptoms of mold toxicity can greatly vary from person to person.
There are, however, a few other ways that can assist you in figuring out if mold is making you sick so let’s get into it...
A VCS (Visual Contrast Sensitivity) Test is a wonderful, affordable, online tool you can use to determine if mold illness may be the underlying cause of any health issues you are experiencing. The test is also beneficial to screen for problems such as Lyme disease, parasites, heavy metals, VOCs, nutritional deficiencies, macular degeneration and other biotoxin related illnesses.
What exactly is VCS testing?
VCS testing “measures your contrast sensitivity, which is your ability to see differences between adjacent light and dark areas”. In other words, it’s an intricate 15 minute vision exam that challenges your neurological function in ways you’ve probably never been tested before.
The second portion of the VCS test asks health related questions to determine the probability of you having CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome), also known as Mold Biotoxin Illness. The test results can then be used by healthcare providers to assist with screening for visual system dysfunction often caused by biotoxin related illnesses, such as mold toxicity.
Here is an example of a full VCS report.
The initial VCS test is free, but if you want a PDF of your report, you’ll have to pay $15 for it, which is totally worth it, in our opinion.
If you have a young child, this may not be the best test for them unless they’re capable of following the eye exam instructions.
2. Remove yourself from the suspected moldy environment
We know this is a no brainer, but not everyone will think of it. Plus, you know.…us moldies can have “moldy brain” aka brain fog.
Temporarily removing yourself from the suspected moldy environment can be a very cheap and effective method to determine if the building is making you ill.
If you cannot afford a hotel, other options you may want to consider are camping outside in your backyard or a campground, sleeping in your car, or spending the night at a family member or friend’s house.
If you suspect your workplace is making you sick and your job allows you to work from home, ask your boss if you can work from home. If this is not possible, consider looking for a new job. Even if you determine your work environment has a mold problem, it’s highly unlikely that building management will address it and if they do, they likely won’t remediate the mold correctly.
If you suspect your child’s school is making them sick, take them out of school for a week to see if their symptoms improve.
We recommend staying away from the suspected moldy environment for AT LEAST a week to see if you start feeling better.
3. Test your Home for Hidden Mold with an ERMI
The ERMI, which stands for Environmental Relative Moldiness Index, is an easy DIY mold test that involves dusting various areas of your home with a dry, unscented swiffer cloth. The ERMI test utilizes MSQPCR technology to look for the DNA of 36 different mold species (26 water damage molds + 10 common indoor molds).
We recommend doing an ERMI after completing one or both of the prior suggestions mentioned on this page. Although, if you’d rather not spend the money on an ERMI, you could always go straight to hiring a mold inspector if you still suspect mold is the culprit. Just know that not all mold inspectors are created equal and if you hire an inadequate inspector, their mold assessment may not be accurate, and you could mistakenly believe your home is safe when in fact, it’s actually not. This is one of the things we teach and preach about in our education portal.
Learn more about the ERMI and/or purchase one here.
4. Test your Body for Mold with a Mycotoxin Test
Mycotoxins are a harmful byproduct of toxigenic molds, and are commonly found in the the human body IF one has been exposed to a water damaged building…OR if the person has been consuming a LARGE quantity of food high in mycotoxins.
Yes, you heard that right - some foods more prone to molding due to how they stored, which often results in mycotoxin contamination as well. A few moldy foods to name include peanut butter, coffee, dried fruits and mushrooms. There are, however, many others, and just because coffee is notorious for containing mold and mycotoxins doesn’t mean that ALL coffee is moldy.
To test your body for mold, the most common test would be either a urine mycotoxin test or a blood serum mycotoxin test. Most people choose the urine mycotoxin test because it’s more convenient and less expensive. The lab mails you a kit, you urinate in a cup, and you mail it back to the lab. With the serum mycotoxin test, the lab sends you a kit, and then you have to find a lab that will draw your blood and follow the special instructions for the test.
Depending on where you live, you may or may not be able to order a mycotoxin test on your own without the help of a doctor or practitioner.
We recommend checking out Jill Crista’s video blog discussing why mycotoxin tests results will vary depending on the type and brand of mycotoxins test you purchase. Dr Jill Crista also has a urine mycotoxin prep printout which discusses: foods and supplements to avoid, when the test should be conducted, and when you should provoke the mycotoxins by using a sauna, getting a lymphatic drainage massage, or taking a hot epsom salt bath.
If you cannot afford a mycotoxin test, don’t fret. A mycotoxin test is not 100% necessary especially if you have other evidence of mold impacting your health. For example, if the VCS Test indicates you likely have a biotoxin related illness and you feel better after spending time away from home or the suspected moldy environment, you may want to go straight to hiring a competent mold inspector.
A mycotoxin test, however, can be very beneficial if:
You are trying to prove to family members that mold is making you sick.
You hired a mold inspector and they said your house is fine, but you still suspect mold is making you sick.
You have gotten out of the moldy environment, but are still having trouble detoxing. Knowing the specific types of mycotoxins in your body can be extremely helpful for a functional medicine doctor or holistic health practitioner to devise a detoxing game plan for you. This is because different binders are more useful or less effective depending on the mycotoxins being dealt with.
Another important thing to note is you could actually be living in a safe, low-mold environment, but have mold colonization in your body from a previous moldy environment. This is where a mycotoxin test for the body will be more useful than an ERMI.
Please note - No method of testing for mold is completely foolproof. That’s why we recommend a combination of the four methods mentioned on this page to figure out if mold is making you sick.